"I'm talking s**t next time" - Alperen Sengun explains why he does his unusual free throw routine

Most NBA players have a unique free throw routine, including Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun, who likes to talk to the basketball. While he's at the charity stripe, Sengun usually chats with the ball before taking a shot, which has helped him knock down a few shots.

Jason Kidd used to blow a kiss to the rim before taking free throws, Gilbert Arenas used to spin the ball around his waist tons of times. NBA stars have different ways of making sure they knock down the shot. For Sengun, it's talking smack to the basketball, encouraging it to go through the hoop.

On "Podcast P" with Paul George, Sengun talked about his routine and its effectiveness.

​

​

"That routine started a couple years ago. I'm just talking to the ball, nicely," Sengun said. "Spinning it like this ... but if it's not getting in, I'm talking bad another time. I'm talking s*** next time.

"When I was playing in Turkey last year, my free-throw percentage was like 85, 86 (percent), something like that. And then I just didn't want to change it. Right now, it's not doing well that much, like 65% or something, but I just don't wanna change it.

When George asked the Rockets' big man if he says the same things to the ball, Sengun said:

​

​

"Generally, yes. Last season, I was saying different things. Right now, I'm saying different things. But the whole time, it's kinda the same thing."

Right now, Sengun isn't shooting the ball well, knocking down only 63.6% of his shots from the free-throw line. The Turkish center shot 71.5% from the stripe last season.

You might also be interested in reading this: 'That spin move is still faster than me': Alperen Sengun details Hakeem Olajuwon's amazing skill despite being nearly 60 years old

---

Where is Alperen Sengun from?

Alperen Sengun was born in Giresun, Turkey, and grew up to become one of the best Turkish basketball players. He was born on July 25, 2002, and still has room for improvement.

Initially, his parents wanted him to become a professional swimmer. However, due to his love for basketball, he chose to pursue a career in playing the sport. According to sources, Sengun gave swimming a shot and trained for both sports at the same time.

​

But that changed as he dedicated his time and efforts to learning and honing his basketball skills as a young boy.

​